Volkswagen BEETLE 1.8T
All Things Considered, Volkswagens Beetle 1.8T Is Probably As Good As It Gets From This Fashionable Little Car. Jonathan Crouch Checks It Out
At one time or another, almost every other
Volkswagen model seems to have benefited from the Volkswagen Groups ubiquitous 150bhp 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine so why not the Beetle? Why not indeed.
In theory at least, this could be just the engine to exploit the obviously impressive abilities of the MkIV Golf-based chassis. These are limits that youll certainly never find behind the wheel of the standard 115bhp 2.0-litre model. Of course, you could go for the flagship Beetle V5, but at over £17,000, thats rather a lot of money, particularly as its hardly any faster than the £15,675 1.
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8T. A good compromise model then, particularly as the £1,200 or so premium youll pay for the 1.8T over the standard 2.0-litre also entitles you to front foglights, leather for the steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake and a speed-dependent roof spoiler.
Performance? Well, the rest to sixty sprint occupies 9.0s (compared to 10.9s for the 2.0) on the way to 126mph (115mph for the 2.
0). Despite this, fuel consumption is actually better in the 1.8T, with 25.7mpg (compared to 23.
7mpg) available on the Urban cycle and 34.9mpg (as opposed to 32.5mpg) on offer as a Combined figure. On a run, you may even hit 44mpg.
The C02 emissions figures are lower too, whether you opt for the the five-speed manual or the four-speed automatic. In other words, this is probably the best all-round Beetle variant you can buy. All this apart, the recipe is much as youll find it in the 2.0-litre Beetle, a car which has been on offer here in right hand drive form since early 2000.
It comes surprisingly well equipped: expect to find air conditioning, an alarm/immobiliser, electric front windows, powered heated and adjustable mirrors, remote central locking and 16" 8-spoke alloy wheels. You can get all these things in a Golf of course or indeed in any other sensible family hatchback. But you dont buy a Beetle to be sensible.
"This is probably the best all-round Beetle variant you can buy"
On paper, at least, the latest incarnation has little in common with Hitlers original air-cooled peoples car, being a Golf in everything but name and shape. Not that this matters, of course. Volkswagens crude, noisy and comfortless rear engined, air-cooled original is the last thing that modern buyers would want. For them, the new Beetle must be anything but the basic, functional transport envisioned by the originals creator, Dr Ferdinand
Porsche, back in 1945.
Modern Beetles are bought as fashion accessories, as second or third cars for the weekend jaunt or the trip to the squash club. Early US buyers included Beverley Hills celebrities, a presidents daughter and exclusive car rental establishments. In the UK you see them zipping about with advertising agencies names on the doors. Or parked outside fashionable restaurants and nightclubs.
And in the parking slots of exclusive gated residential estates. To therefore complain about the lack of bootspace, the fact that there are no rear doors or even the price is meaningless. What matters is that this car has style and plenty of it. Dont buy one if youve a tendency towards the shy and retiring.
Park it and everyone stares. Drive it and everyone drools. If anything, the Beetle interior is even more of a shock than the outside; full marks to the design team for doing the job properly, rather than filling it with Golf and Polo dials from the
Volkswagen parts bin. Of course, there are plenty of tell-tale Volkswagen signs; the switches, the firm seats, the positive gearbox but you dont really notice them.
What you do notice are all the natty stylish touches. The big central circular instrument cluster with its huge numbers and cute little built-in rev counter. Plus, of course, the vase (yes, you read that right), ready for you to fill with flower power. More macho buyers can pretend its a pen holder or something.
As youd expect from the bubble-like shape, theres enough room inside to wear a top hat should the mood take you. More practically, that high roofline does make travelling in the rear reasonably palatable though legroom is at a bit of a premium. Like all modern Volkswagens, the Beetle feels like its hewn from stone, with the kind of build quality youd expect from something twice as expensive. The little touches help too; the lovely blue instrument lighting which illuminates only the figures on the speedometer; the beautifully designed unique-fit stereo.
Equipment levels, as weve seen, include most things on the average wish list and include ESP, the Electronic Stability Programme normally reserved for performance models. On the passive safety front, theres twin side and front airbags built around a platform thats still one of the safest things this side of £30,000. Nice touches include folding rear
seat that increases boot space, the height adjustable seats and the three 12V power sockets installed around the car. On the road, the ride is Germanically firm and the handling competent but generally uninspiring though at least in the case of the 1.
8T, theres enough power to make the experience interesting. Like its stablemates, this version of the new Beetle is an unashamed indulgence, both on the part of its makers and those who will buy it. Theres no rational reason for shelling out around £15,500 on one, just as there was no rational reason for designing it in the first place. But then, if we did everything for rational reasons, the world would be very dull indeed.
The arrival of this car made the automotive landscape just that little bit brighter. The arrival of 1.8-litre turbocharged power under the bonnet makes it brighter still.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volkswagen Beetle 1.8T
PRICE: £15,675 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 14
CO2 EMISSIONS: 197g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 126mph / 0-60mph 9.0s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 25.7mpg / (extra urban) 44.1mpg / (combined) 31.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags / ABS / ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4081/1836/1498
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